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I didn’t understand what she meant, but before I could pry further, my attention was snagged by the parchment upon the desk. The ink still glistened as if it had just been written.Appendix A: Port Fees for Mer at the Starlit Isle.

Odd.

“Special fees for Mer weren’t in this morning’s proposal,” Iona muttered from behind me. “Everyone has the same rates.”

I stepped back, giving her easier access to the document. “What do you make of it?”

She looked it over, scanning lines that broke down port fees for specific types of goods.“These numbers are just a little lower than the public ones, except…” She frowned, pointing to a line at the bottom. “Weapons weren’t mentioned at all.”

And if I read this right, weapons from Mer would travel for free. A shudder coursed through me. “Let’s find what we came here for and leave.”

Still unsure what I was looking for, I reached into the drawer beneath the shard and tapped the top of the inside panel. It resounded like solid wood. I frowned.

“I can help,” Iona reminded me.

“Some sort of mer magic?”

“Yes.” She crouched before the drawer and reached for the front of the desk, where the mirror panel filled the space between the two drawers.

Her fingers met the looking glass and slid through as if the surface was liquid. It rippled around her hand as she slowly drove it further within.

“Mirror magic,” she explained as sweat gathered on her brow. “And don’t you dare try it. This can slice your hand right off.”

I frowned, certain Rhett wouldn’t be pleased when he learned of the risk she had taken. But there was no stopping her now. Her hand extended deeper, and I watched as the shard shifted, and gradually, slowly, her hand eased back out of the mirror’s depths. Soon, the shard was halfway out, her fingers remaining within.

There was the sound of someone at the door. It opened with a creak

“Quickly,” I urged.

“Nearly there.”

My ears strained, gauging the weight of footsteps that now crossed the entry threshold. They were in a rush.

“Got it,” she whispered, the black diamond shard secured in her grasp.

“Let’s go.” Following the shadows, I jumped us to the nearby apartment Iona shared with her mother. Despite the distance of our journey, the countless wards that had to be crossed, the shadows obeyed my lightest touch.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She shoved the shard into my hands. “Give me a moment.”

Nodding, I accepted, my fingers aching as I tucked the shard into the pocket with the others. It wasn’t just this shard buzzing with energy—they all were. I swallowed, understanding how much easier the shadows were to manipulate in their presence.

Three more to go.

Straightening, I eyed Iona, relieved to see her breathing had settled. “Thank you.”

She glanced away. “I assume you’ll be leaving as soon as you take the ones from the Starlit King?”

Her question was loaded. Of course, she knew about the Starlit King’s shards, and moreover, the pleading look in her eyes made it clear that despite everything she’d just seen, she still wanted to leave with us.

Pausing, I weighed my options, realizing how I would have struggled to retrieve this shard without her help. After all this, I’d be hard-pressed to leave her behind, and while I couldn’t be sure, I didn’t think hers was an act. At some point, I had to take a leap of faith.

“Yes, that’s the plan,” I replied, making up my mind. “We’re leaving as soon as we have them all. You and Rhett may come with us, if you want.”

She sagged with relief. “Thank Teyr.”

“Be discreet. Draw no attention to yourself.”